My invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning icemakers provided in carbonated beverage dispensers. Most cold drink machines of the prior art which are adapted to dispense both plain and carbonated beverage are provided with automatic icemakers. Most of the icemakers are of the type in which cold water from the machine supply is fed to a chamber having a freezing surface from which ice crystal are scooped and forced through a relatively restricted passage to form relatively clear ice, chunks or pieces of which are fed to a storage chamber. When the supply of ice in the storage chamber reaches a predetermined level the icemaker shuts off and water is permitted to stand in the icemaker and feed line. One of the problems encountered in connection with such icemakers has been the tendency for bacterial and mineral residues to form in the water owing to stagnation. While the bacterial growth is ordinarily not physically harmful, the slime which is formed makes the ice esthetically objectionable. Both the bacterial and the mineral residue may also cause "soft ice," clogging, or other mechanical problems. Systems which draw off all or part of the melted-down water and use it in the carbonator system, and thus minimize the chances for stagnation, have not wholly solved the problem.
There are known in the prior art methods for cleaning icemakers which contemplate flowing hot water or a phosphoric acid solution through the icemaker. These methods, however, are not automatic. Moreover, they require an additional chemical supply system or a source of hot water adding to the complexity and cost of the total machine.